مجموعة ٦/ ١٩ "الجزيرة العربية: (المملكة العربية السعودية) التقرير السنوي لمملكة الحجاز ونجد." [ظ‎‎٢‎٤] (٥٤٠/٤٩)

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be difficult for Ibn Baud to draw back. A much longer step, however, has been
marked by the interview granted to Mr. Philby on the 12th August, wmc
appeared in the November number of the Oriente Moderno. Apart from the two
pronouncements which have been quoted in paragraph 58 above, the King ma e
a very damaging comparison between our concern for the Jews m Germany ana
what he considers our indifference to the rights of the Arabs m Palestine. How
can Europe, he asks, criticise Germany and other countries for driving out Jews
from territories where they form a majority, and find nothing to criticise in an
attempt to drive out the Arabs from their own country in order that the Jews
may live there?
76. It was after Ibn Baud had made this criticism that partition was
abandoned, and that the invitation to the London discussions indicated a change
in the policy of His Majesty’s Government towards Palestine, and still later (the
24th November) that the speech of the Secretary of State for the Colonies showed
how sincere was the desire of His Majesty’s Government that full weight should
now be given to the views and feelings of the Arabs. From Ibn Baud s point of
view the prospect now looks promising, but if nothing comes of the discussions
his position will no longer be what it has been hitherto. After supporting the
Arab case in London, as on the whole he must do, and after his pronouncements
in the press, he cannot slip back into silence. To what extent he has given the
Palestine rebels secret help in the way of arms and money is mainly a matter of
conjecture; but if the policy adopted by His Majesty’s Government after the
London discussions is not, on broad lines, satisfactory to the Arabs, we must not
be surprised if Ibn Baud becomes openly hostile, however much it would go against
the grain with him to embark upon an open quarrel with His Majesty’s
Government.
Transjordan.
77. Among the propaganda about Palestine which was introduced into the
Hejaz during the pilgrimage season were photostat copies of what purported to
be and apparently was a letter from the Amir Abdullah to the High Commissioner
for Transjordan at Jerusalem, setting forth the Amir’s suspicions of the policy of
Saudi Arabia. This letter, which was written during the Saudi-Yemen war,
described the foreign policy of Saudi Arabia as being run mainly through
Fuad Bey and and Sheikh Yusuf Yasin by extremists like the Mufti and Shakib
Arslan, and as being aimed at the Yemen in the first instance and, secondly, at
Transjordan. Moreover, it accused these persons as having connexions with
“ two European Powers who for a long time have had great ambitions on the
Red Sea coast.” A copy of this photostat was given to His Majesty’s Minister
by Fuad Bey without comment. As propaganda it was probably very effective
with Ibn Baud, who must have resented strongly the assumption that he did not
run the foreign policy of Saudi Arabia but was a cat’s-paw in the hands of
Fuad Bey and Sheikh Yusuf Yasin.
78. An incident which occurred in January will not have enhanced the
reputation of the Amir Abdullah as a sensible man in the eyes of Ibn Saud. The
Amir telegraphed to Ibn Saud asking whether the dues could be remitted on
about 150 pilgrims who wished to proceed to Mecca by land. Ibn Saud replied
that the dues were fixed by law, but that he would pay the dues on the pilgrims in
question out of his own pocket provided that the Amir would guarantee them—
meaning guarantee that they would behave themselves and would not become
destitute. The Amir took this grand seigneur reply quite calmly and accepted the
financial offer, and said that he would find guarantors but that most of the
pilgrims were Syrians. As Syrians are not under the Government of Transjordan
and the Amir obviously could not guarantee them, Ibn Saud asked for the help
of His Majesty’s Legation in elucidating the obscure affair. It turned out that
the pilgrims in question, of whom some forty were natives of Transjordan, had
been intercepted in Transjordan in an attempt to evade the passport and sanitary
controls and to proceed to Saudi Arabia by an unauthorised route, that they had
appealed to the Amir in the mosque, and that on an impulse he had telegraphed
to Ibn Saud. The Amir had not consulted the British Resident beforehand, and
there was no reason why such assistance as he requested from Ibn Saud should be
afforded. Finally, the Amir absolved Ibn Saud of any obligation under which
he might have placed himself in the matter, Ibn Saud expressed his thanks to
His Majesty’s Minister, and the matter was closed.